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Evolution of surface sensible heat over the Tibetan Plateau under the recent global warming hiatus

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Abstract

Based on regular surface meteorological observations and NCEP/DOE reanalysis data, this study investigates the evolution of surface sensible heat (SH) over the central and eastern Tibetan Plateau (CE-TP) under the recent global warming hiatus. The results reveal that the SH over the CE-TP presents a recovery since the slowdown of the global warming. The restored surface wind speed together with increased difference in ground-air temperature contribute to the recovery in SH. During the global warming hiatus, the persistent weakening wind speed is alleviated due to the variation of the meridional temperature gradient. Meanwhile, the ground surface temperature and the difference in ground-air temperature show a significant increasing trend in that period caused by the increased total cloud amount, especially at night. At nighttime, the increased total cloud cover reduces the surface effective radiation via a strengthening of atmospheric counter radiation and subsequently brings about a clear upward trend in ground surface temperature and the difference in ground-air temperature. Cloud–radiation feedback plays a significant role in the evolution of the surface temperature and even SH during the global warming hiatus. Consequently, besides the surface wind speed, the difference in ground-air temperature becomes another significant factor for the variation in SH since the slowdown of global warming, particularly at night.

摘要

本文利用常规地面气象观测资料及NCEP/DOE再分析数据集, 探讨了青藏高原中东部地区地表感热在全球变暖停滞期的演变. 结果表明: 高原中东部地区自1980年代后持续减弱的地表感热在全球变暖停滞期有所恢复; 高原感热的这一变化主要由地表风速的减弱停滞及地气温差的增加导致; 在全球变暖停滞期, 一方面, 东亚中高纬地区经向温度梯度的改变使前期持续减弱的高原地表风速有所恢复, 另一方面, 夜间总云量的增加通过加强大气逆辐射, 减弱地面有效辐射, 进而导致地温及地气温差的显著增加. 全球变暖停滞期云-辐射反馈效应在高原温度乃至感热的变化中具有重要的作用, 该期间地气温差(尤其是夜间的地气温差)的变化是除地表风速以外影响高原感热变化的另一重要因素.

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Acknowledgements

This paper is dedicated to the great founder of TP meteorology, Duzheng YE. The authors thank the CMA for kindly providing the observational data. We also thank the two anonymous reviewers and editor for their useful comments. This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (41425019, 41661144016, 91537214) and the Public Science and Technology Research Funds Projects of the Ocean (201505013).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Numerical Modeling for Atmospheric Sciences and Geophysical Fluid Dynamics, Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100029, China

    Lihua Zhu, Gang Huang & Guijie Zhao

  2. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China

    Lihua Zhu, Gang Huang & Guijie Zhao

  3. School of Atmospheric Sciences/Plateau Atmosphere and Environment Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province/Joint Laboratory of Climate and Environment Change, Chengdu University of Information Technology, Chengdu, 610225, China

    Lihua Zhu, Guangzhou Fan & Wei Hua

  4. Laboratory for Regional Oceanography and Numerical Modeling, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, 266237, China

    Gang Huang

  5. Joint Center for Global Change Studies, Beijing, 100875, China

    Gang Huang

  6. Collaborative Innovation Center on Forecast and Evaluation of Meteorological Disasters, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing, 210044, China

    Guangzhou Fan

  7. Center for Monsoon System Research, Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100029, China

    Xia Qu

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  1. Lihua Zhu
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Correspondence to Gang Huang.

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Zhu, L., Huang, G., Fan, G. et al. Evolution of surface sensible heat over the Tibetan Plateau under the recent global warming hiatus. Adv. Atmos. Sci. 34, 1249–1262 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00376-017-6298-9

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